After Election, More New Yorkers Tell Volunteer Groups, ‘I Can Help’

Jonathan Lipsmeyer, a part-time wine buyer, was so upset after Donald J. Trump won the election last year that he volunteered to teach English to Muslim Americans.

“For me this was important because it helps address the anti-immigrant, anti-Muslim spirit that seems to be enveloping the country,” said Mr. Lipsmeyer, 42, who lives in the Cobble Hill section of Brooklyn. “My first thought was, this whole hateful tide was sweeping the planet after ‘Brexit,’ Trump’s election and the rise of the right wing in France, and I can help.”

Mr. Lipsmeyer signed up with New York Cares, one of the largest volunteer groups in the city, joining a small army of volunteers who have decided to lend a hand after the polarizing election.

New York Cares reported a 137 percent increase in would-be volunteers just in the week after the election, compared with the same week in November 2015. That figure covered would-be volunteers like Mr. Lipsmeyer who were interested in teaching English or helping people prepare for citizenship tests.

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